Intake-feeder for suction-conveyers



J. F. BARKLEY.

INTAKE FEEDER FOR SUCTION CONVEYERS. APPLICATION FILED JUNI-:21, I9I9.

Patented June 21, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- J. F. BARKLEY. INTAKE FEEDER FOR SUCTION CONVEYERS.-

' APPLICATION FILED IUIIEZI, I9I9.

1,882,454. Patented June 21, 1921.

- SSHEETS-SHEET 2.

I. 4F.m\m LE\/. INTAKE FEEDER F0.R SUCTION CONVEYEIIS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2|, I9I9.

1,382,454, Patented June 21, 1921.

F/Tlfg. s SHEETS-SHEET 3. 5 l l 2 'I I 11 I IIiHI PATENT OFFICE.

i UNITED STATES J 031V F- BAB'KLEY, .0F .WILKINSBURG .BENNSYLVANIA *AINTAKEFEEDER' FOR SUCTION-SCONVEYEBS. Y

Srpeeication of Letters Patent P31711ted. June'f21, 1921,

Applicationdled @une 1,21, 191f9. f Serial fNo. 395,737.

To all whom it may concern:

:Be 4it knowntha-tI, JoHNvfF. 'BARKLEY, a

citizen of theUnited States, and; resident l of Wilkinsburg, in the county of .Allegheny VandlA'State of LRennsylvania, .have invented certain new and useful #Improvements 1n `I ntalte-Feeders for SuctionfConveyers, of which f the following isa specification.

T his invention is anvintake feeder4 orvalve for controlling the feeding of material from veyer, such loose materials 'have a tendency vto arch over or bridge across the outlet opening ofthehopper, andthe primeobject of .the present invention is to prevent such arching or bridging of the material, or .at

leastfto `break thesame down immediately upon the formation thereof, and thereby yinsure a supplyV ofthe material ina steady stream equal to or approximating the ca pacity of the, conveyor.

In carrying out the invention theoutlet Yfrom the hopper into the conveyer pipe is so disposed that should the material bridge across said opening, the inner or under side of the bridge or archwill be subjectzto the cutting action of the air :as it is drawn through a portion of the opening which is disposed in a plane at an angle to that portion of the opening ovei1 which the material has bridged or arched, and therefore the bridge or arch will be quickly broken up and the feeding of the material will go on regularly and uninterruptedly.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a front elevation of a feeder of the present invention associated with the intake end of the conduit or pipe 'of a suctionl conveyer for loose materials;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail cross sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on .the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 isa detail perspectweview of the gate or valve -member of the present invention;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are views similar to Fig. 3 showing modified forms or shapes of the feed opening from the feed hopper to the pipe or conduit of a suction conveyer.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings, 1 des1gnates the :inlet end of apipe or conduit-fof any common .or 'preferred *.form of rsuction ypneufmat'ic .conveyer systemfsaid pipe having an i :openend .for communication with f the atmosphere and preferably provided with an ex- .ternalgannularfllangeZ with which theintake .feederf ofthe .presentA invention :may be con- :,nected.

'.In fthe fpresent embodiment of the 'invent1on,.the-re.isprovided:aihopper 3 ywhich is v open at `its upper :end "for1 the yintroduction therethroughxof theloosevmaterial to `be fed .to the conveyer pipe. Accessfto the interior ,of the hopper .may be conveniently had through -a lsuitable .fdoor '.4 provided lin i one auprlght sideof .the hopper. The bottom of :the hopper is provided 4with an outlet Opening extendingzthroughout said'bottom from.. the front toithe rearz thereof, and alined openings :and ,notches 17 and 8 lare provided in the :rearzand sfront walls respectively of `thehopperabove and in communicationwith the fe'ed opening6. Below the'bottom of the hopper there isa pipe `section 9 Vopen at lopposite ends and provided at its -rear or yinner en'd `@with .an iexternal `flange `l() lying against'the flange 2 andsecured thereto by `means f of suitable pfastenings 11, 'thus forming an inlet chamber through which air and vthe materialfconveyed by the `air may enter the ,pipe 1. The bottom 5 of the hopper separates the hopper from the pipe section 9, and the opening 6 yprovides a communication from the interior of the hopper to the pipe section 9. As best indicated in Fig. 4, itA will be seen that the opening 7.communi cates with the inlet end of the conveyer pipe l, so that there' is communication directly from the hopper .3 through the opening lLinto the pipe 1as ywell as an indirect communication from the hopper through the opening 6 into the pipe section. or inlet chamber aand thence into the pipel.

For .controlling communication between thehopper and the suction pipe l, there is provided va valve or gate, kone embodiment of which has been vshownin l3`igs.l 1 to 5, inclusive, wherein itwill ybe seen vthat said valve or gate 12 is of inverted substantially V-shape, and is V.providedvat each of its bottom edges with an outstanding .longitudinal flange 13, and at one end with `a handle 14,

preferably lvin ,the form of a bail or yoke or valve lies within the openingl 6 and. r0 jects upwardly into the hopper V3. he

ianges 13 are mounted to slide in suitable" underl side Aof the bottom 5 0i the'hoppei" and spaced from said bottonln-'which'bottom,`

constitutes the top of the guideway. The

` .v gate or Valve isV of a length to lie inthe openings Tand 8 so` as to [close the same tion with a` suction conduit, of aieed'hopper 'connected to one endoil saidconduit, said hopper having side 'and' bottom-walls, and"V Vand also close the opening 6 whenit is desired to shut oli communication between the hopper 3 andthe pipe line 1.

By pulling the gate or Valver outwardly, to a position as show n in Fig. `4L, Vit vwillA be` seenthatA the contents of the hopper may pass through .i the opening 7 into the pipe line e1"V as well 'as downwardly throughthe` opening 6, into line '1, under thek suction( action 4which is established .in the pipe line i1, fthe' 'front end of thepi'pesection '9 'being' open tothe atr mosphere as hereinbe'foreY described.' A With the Valve v'or gater'in anyV open "position, Y should-,theloose material inthe hopper bridge Vor archv over vthe opening 6, the air which is suckedin throughthepipe section "9 andthence through the opening 7 ,in to j 'equal torthe'capacity of the'pipeline; When the Valvefor gateis'pushe'd inwardly until i its inner` end occupiesfthelopening 7,'"all communication is' out oil' fromgthe hopper .'to the pipe line 1."

' Istead'of hating ,the'invertedbsubstair f shapes, Some/gef which are Shwn in Figs. e, Tand s, anddesignated, fspeCtivQ1y,-12a,

"12b, and 12,""the`opeings in the reali4 ,wall

'foithefho'ppei ofcourse conforming'tothe ,A 1.11@ pneumatic" @wenn nel @bimvcross-sectional employed, l ,Y 'A ItN will here be explainedthatfthe gate or Valve is semitubular inform' with its lower fside open' andminl communi-cation'f`with the 'suc'tilon ,nozzle formed 'by the pipefs'ec'tion 9, wherebysa eurren'tofairfwill be "directed by this i semi-tubularY gate lor Valve Vagainst the "inner-,or under'fsid'e foff the bridged or arched materialf'which'may formV across the 1 opening' between the'iniier end of the valve or gate andtherear'wall 4of the liPPer.

"WhatI clain'iisz the pipe section 9 and thence `into the kpipe regulate .Share ef, @les gate 91' relie Y tion with a suction conduit, of 'a feed hopper connected to one. endhof said conduit, said hopperhav'ing side' and bottom walls, said bottom wallbeingut away throughout its length from front to rear thereof, and the rear and front sidewalls being notched upwardly from said cut-away portion forming a continuous outlet opening, and an arched yalve member controlling said outlet openmg' f f'" i f2. In a pneumaticconveyer, the combinaan inlet chamber" below said bottom wall,

i said bottom wall being cut away throughout its length from'front to rearvthereohand the rear and .front side walls being notched upwardly :trom said cut-away portion form-l ing a continuous outlet opening, and an arched valve slidably mounted Vwithin 'the 4hopper and controlling said outlet opening,

said valve workingthroug'h the notch-'insaid front wall. i

3. In a pneumatic conveyer, the'combina- Y tion with a suction conduit,vof a feed'hopper Vconnected to one end of said'conduit, said hopper having side walls, Va bottom wall,

and an inlet` chamber below said bottom* wall, saidfsideA walls andfsaid bottom. wall. being cut away forming a continuousopen- 'ing'communicating withsaid conduit, and -adJustable means for bridgingsaid opening.

Y 4. In a pneumatic'conveyer, 'the combinati'on'with a suction'conduit, of afeed hopper connected toone end `of said Vf suctn'm con- Qduit, said hopperhaving side walls, a bottomV wall, andaninletchamber below 'said "bottom wall`, said side 4walls Vand saidbot-h f`- i tom wall being cut away' forming aw contii'iuous' opening 'communicating with both said suction' conduit and said lnletchamber, and means or'bridgingsa1dQpening, said 5. In a pneumatic conye'yer, Vthe combination Kwith a suction conduit/, of a' feed hopper connected to one" end of said' suctionfconf duit, sadhopperhavng side wanna botsaid suction,conduitA and said inlet chamber, anda Valve arching over and S'ldable along said opening, said valve havingflanges, and' said bottom fwallrV having guideways 'slidably Yreceiving the flanges on said valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto'set myhandfY ,A f l,

fmeansfbeing slidable alongsaid opening 'to'n and control the sizeof said open- 

